Radio Listening

7th District: Erik Thompson

SNAPSHOTThompson originally registered with the FEC as a candidate for the 5th District. But he is a resident of Milan, Minn., which is in the 7th District, so Thompson has now filed to run in the DFL primary for that seat, now held by Rep. Collin Peterson. He also has previously registered as a candidate for president of the United States. According to the candidate's Web site, "Thompson, who calls his race a Challenge for Congress, is a long-time peace activist who is pledging to do all in his power to stop the insanity of our war in Iraq and work to make sure it never happens again. Anywhere. Anytime. I am not really running against the incumbent Collin Peterson, but am giving voters in my home district a chance to cast a clear vote against the war."

The candidate once spent 90 days in the Federal prison system for a misdemeanor trespass conviction at the Nevada Test Site, home to continued testing of US nuclear weapons and the location of most of Thompsonís nearly 100 arrests. He is finishing his term as national board co-chair of Nevada Desert Experience, a group dedicated to faith-based resistance to U.S. nuclear weapons testing.
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Candidate Bio

Political affiliation:Democratic Party

Born: Northfield, Minn., 1957

Personal:Resides in Milan, Minn.

Occupation:Chairman of Prairie Sun Bank, Milan, Minn.

Education:BA/MA/MBA from Stanford University, including a certificate in public management.

As a result of the Democrats' taking control of the U.S. House, Minnesota Rep. Collin Peterson, a DFLer from the 7th District, is in line to become chairman of the House Agriculture Committee. He spoke with MPR's Cathy Wurzer.
(11/08/2006)

Minnesota 8th District Congressman Jim Oberstar is about to become really important in the transportation world. As the ranking Democrat, Oberstar is expected to become chair of the powerful House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee in January.
(11/09/2006)

Democrat Keith Ellison was elected as the
nation's first Muslim member of Congress on Tuesday, easily winning
a Minneapolis-area district Republicans had not carried since 1962.
He is also Minnesota's first nonwhite representative in Washington.
(11/07/2006)

The congressional candidate made the comments during tough questioning at a free-for-all forum in Andover, in the wake of an appearance at a church service last month in which she said "God called me to run for the United States Congress."
(11/01/2006)

The candidates for Congress in Minnesota's 2nd District -- incumbent Republican John Kline and his DFL challenger Colleen Rowley -- discuss the issues as part of Midday's "Meet the Candidates" series.
(Midday,
11/01/2006)

Rep. Collin Peterson won the 7th Congressional District seat for the first time in 1990. In the past 16 years, the Democrat has solidified his bond with voters in the conservative district. This year he's challenged by Republican Michael Barrett.
(10/31/2006)

Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, one of the biggest names in the Democratic Party, spent Monday in Minnesota -- campaigning for Democrats and signing copies of his new book. The atmosphere at the book signing was worthy of a rock star.
(10/30/2006)